Article pan holding rack



1962 H. w. SCHUSTER ARTICLE PAN HOLDING RACK Filed Sept. 9, 1960 Harold M. Schusfer INVENTOR. 4062.

BY gm United States Patent 3,069,019 ARTICLE PAN HOLDING RACK Harold W. Schuster, 248 E. 1st Ave, Dyersville, Iowa Filed Sept. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 54,937

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-73) This invention relates generally to merchandise racks and has for its primary object to provide novel means for supporting any desired number of readily available conventional pans or plastic or fiber containers of various widths and shapes in a manner to attractively display for convenient selection and removal miscellaneous articles of merchandise placed therein, particularly, although not necessarily, bolts, washers, nuts, screws, etc.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a rack or holder of the aforementioned character wherein the pans or other containers may be mounted either endwise or sidewise on the device.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide a rack or holder of the character described wherein the pans may be selectively removed and replaced Without interfering with each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article pan holding rack which may be readily mounted for use on existing commercial store fixtures.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a display rack of the character set forth which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, of light weight, attractive in appearance and which may be manufactured and installed at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a display rack constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, showing a modification.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 of said drawing comprises a vertical, horizontally elongated bar or plate 4 of suitable metal, which plate maybe of any desired dimensions. The plate 4 is adapted to be mounted on a suitable vertical support such, for example, as a wall 5. Toward this end, the plate 4 has formed therein a plurality of openings 6 which accommodate securing screws 7. If desired, the plate 4 may be secured on studs (not shown) or other suitable supports.

Formed integrally with the lower portion of the plate 4 is a forwardly and slightly downwardly inclined flange 8. In the embodiment shown, a series of elongated article receiving pans 9 are removably mounted on the flange 8. Each pan 9 has a side wall structure comprising parallel side walls 22 and 24 connected at their ends to the ends of end walls 26 and 28. The side walls are preferably vertical and at least one of the end walls is preferably canted upwardly and outwardly from a bottom 30 which extends between the bottom edges of the end and side walls.

Formed integrally with the upper portion of the plate 4 is a forwardly projecting, horizontally extending upper L-shaped flange comprising a horizontal leg member and a lip member 20 connected to one edge of the leg member and extending downwardly therefrom. The lip M CC member 20 is divided into a plurality of lips 11 by notches 16 having downwardly diverging side edges. As shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the lips 11 are engageable in the upper portions of the pans 9 for retaining said pans on the lower flange 8 in 'a manner to project forwardly and downwardly therefrom.

It is thought that the use of the rack will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, to mount the pans 9 on the plate 4 the lips 11 are engaged in one end portion of said pans which are then swung downwardly and brought to rest on the lower flange 8 in a manner to project at a forward and downward inclination. The divergent side edges 12 of the lips 11 facilitate engaging the pans with said lips. Of course, the notches, recesses or spaces 16 which separate the lips 11 accommodate portions of the upper edges of the adjacent pans. Of course, to remove any of the pans the foregoing procedure is reversed. The pans 9 may be mounted endwise, as shown, or sidewise on the plate 3. Also, the lips 11 may be spaced as desired to accommodate pans or other containers of various widths or dimensions. The plate 4 may be of any vertical dimension for pans or containers of various depths. Also, the lips 11 may be extended downwardly to engage in relatively shallow pans or other containers mounted on the lower flange 8. While the assembly is, as also shown, preferably of metal, suitably plastics or fibers may also be resorted to.

The embodiment of FIGURE 3 of the drawing is for use on the uprights 13 of existing store fixtures of the type comprising keyhole slots 14. Toward this end, the plate 4 has fixed on the back thereof headed pins or studs 15 which are selectively engageable in the keyhole slots 14.

It is believed that the many advantages of an article pan holding rack constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although preferred embodiments of the device are as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that further modifications and changes in the details of construction may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A device comprising a vertically extending and horizontally elongated plate having horizontally extending upper and lower edges, a lower flange connected to said lower edge and projecting generally horizontally outwardly therefrom, an L-shaped flange comprising a generally horizontal leg member and a lip member connected together at adjacent edges, another edge of said leg member spaced from said adjacent edges secured to the upper edge of said plate so that said leg member projects over said lower flange and said lip member projects downwardly toward said lower flange, said lip member and an upper portion of said plate defining a space therebetween, said lip member being formed with a plurality of spaced vertical notches, a plurality of containers each comprising a side wall structure enclosing a chamber having an open top 'and a bottom wall connected to the bottom edges of said side wall structure so as to extend across the bottom of said chamber, each container having a bottom edge supported on said lower flange and one portion of said side wall structure extending from said bottom edge into the space defined between said lip portion and an upper portion of said plate, the upper edge of said one side wall structure portion supported against said lip portion and portions of the upper edges of said side wall structure extending through said notches and connected to the upper edge of said one side wall structure portion.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said space has a horizontal dimension several times the thickness of said side wall structure, said lower flange slopes downwardly and away from said upper flange and plate, and said notches have downwardly diverging side edges.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said plate and flanges are formed from one integral piece of sheet metal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bernard Jan. 2, 1917 Crist Apr. 2, 1918 Dodd Feb. 20, 1923 Pierce Oct. 10, 1933 Vincenzo Jan. 3, 1939 Thorsheim Aug. 25, 194-2 

